Technology @ Hebron

Over the past week the AP Literature class has been working on a technology project to design and create Hamlet faces in 3D. Each student selected a character from the play, sketched out their ideas for their face design and then sculpted them on the library iMacs using the Sculptris app.

Some students based their creations on a simple mask template that was give to them (and created by students in the Computer Science class), and others created their models from scratch. They started by molding the overall shape of the face, added the larger facial features and then zoomed in to create the fine details.

The finished designs were them printed on our 3D printer and will be displayed along side a piece of reflective writing based around the original character they chose.

A selection of photographs and screenshots can be seen below, including some shots of the finished printed models:

During Computer Science class for the past two weeks we have been looking at different concepts, styles, techniques and apps for creating video game 3D models.

We started off by using Tinkercad to create geometric shape-based space crafts and then discussed different ways of creating more organic looking asteroids from the same tools. We then moved into digital sculpture using the Sculpris app, which lets you morph and carve digital clay into the exact shapes you want.

The students used the symmetry tool to create monster heads, complete with facial features and additional detailing to create a finished model that could be viewed at any angle.

We then went back into Tinkercad and talked about human body proportions and created a human template, again using basic geometric shapes. We then transitioned back to Sculpris to try and mold a similar body shape and finally added additional detailing to turn this into a finished  video game monster character.

A selection of screenshots of student work in Tinkercad, Sculptris and Unity (to get an idea of what the final render in a 3D game would look like) can be seen below, as well as a photo of two monster heads printed on our 3D printer:

After a trip to the Body Works exhibition in Portland to research, sketch and find inspiration, sculpture students used the Sculptris 3D modeling software installed in the Art iMac Lab to create 3D body parts.

The software gives you a blank sphere of digital clay to work with and using tools like grab, pinch, smooth and draw, students molded the material using the mouse into the shape of the body part and then added additional detailing such as muscle fibre and veins.

Once complete the models were then exported out of Sculptris and printed using our 3D printer. To finish the project the students will paint and display their models. A selection of pictures of the students working in the lab, their 3D creations and finished prints can be seen below:

For the final part of the Spanish project based around festivals, grade 6/7 students planned out and designed a logo for their festival. We looked at examples, discussed what makes up an eye-catching logo  and students then used the scribble tool in a Google Drawing to sketch out their ideas.

We then switched to Tinkercad and students had to construct their ideas in 3D using shapes, holes and letters, with the idea to vote on the best one and print it using our MakerBot 3D printer. They also take screenshots of their work and will create a blog post to reflect on the class.

A couple of examples of what the students produced can be seen below:

For the final part of the Conceptual Physics project based around car design, students had to prep their 3D printed cars for the test ramp and were then given three chances to record their fastest speed down the ramp (recorded with a radar sensor) and longest distance travelled off the ramp. Any car that did not make it down the ramp was disqualified for that turn.

Students recorded the data for all groups in their notebooks, which will include additional points for style to be decided in the next class. Everything will then be put together in a written report, including reflections on their own design decisions during construction and testing.

Here are a few shots from the two classes and some close-ups of the different designs the students created, including Lego additions and paint jobs:

And a YouTube playlist of all the different cars heading down the testing ramp is embedded below:

A project that Freshmen complete every year during their Conceptual Physics course is designing and creating Lego cars that are raced down a ramp and measured for speed and distance. This year, with the addition of the 3D printer, students will now either design their car completely using Tinkercad or use a combination of printed parts and Lego.

The project started with a introduction to 3D printing and how the process works, we then discussed the make-up of a car, how to translate their ideas and sketches (some drawn on the iPad using Notability’s drawing tools) into a software design and how to divide up the work between each group member. We also spent some time discussing wheel design and how wheels could be attached to the main body of their cars.

Students then created their cars in Tinkercad, based on their sketches and ideas. Some groups split the work into three with each student creating a part of the car, some worked together on one computer and others created three cars based on the same design and choose a winner to send to the printer.

A selection of photos of the students working in the Science computer lab, some car sketches, screenshots of the models in Tinkercad, and some of the finished printed models can be seen below: